KEVIN YOUNG, DIRECTOR
60822 Creek Road
Niles, MI 49120
269-684-3870
kevin60822@sbcglobal.net
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 GRANGE NEWS
I look forward to seeing what entries will be in the Ag Department classes this year. It has been another strange growing season in 2025. I hope to continue to bring you information on this Department that has meant so much to our Great Organization when it was first founded! I hope everyone enjoys the State Session and their stay in Owosso!!!
AGRICULTURE CONTEST WINNERS:
Winter Squash
Flowers — “Potted Herbs”
Flowers — Blooms
Decorated Pumpkins
Decorated Flower Pots
Worthy Master, First Lady, Delegates, Brothers and Sisters:
Welcome to the 152nd Annual Convention of the Michigan State Grange!! It is hard to believe that it is time for yet another Michigan State Grange Session. Time sure goes by fast, where has 2025 gone!? I hope everyone has enjoyed my articles as at times I felt like I was just rambling on but at the time I was writing them it was what was on my mind. Agriculture in our Great State is a very important part of life and of the State Economy, and I feel honored to be the Director of the MSG Agriculture Department. It has been a very up and down year so far for Agriculture in our Country and it isn’t over yet. As our elected officials that represent us in Washington DC still work on the new Farm Bill, we need to be mindful of the items that they may add or delete from it. We need to use our voice to let our State representatives know before it is too late that farmers are still struggling and we need to support the farmers more than ever as they continue to feed our Country and the World. We the Grange, need to stand stronger than ever to let everyone know that the Grange is still alive and here to help our friends in Agriculture.
I look forward to seeing what entries will be in the Ag Department classes this year. It has been another strange growing season in 2025. I hope to continue to bring you information on this Department that has meant so much to our Great Organization when it was first founded! I hope everyone enjoys the State Session and their stay in Owosso!!!
Fraternally, Kevin Young, AG Director
AGRICULTURE CONTEST WINNERS:
Winter Squash
1st Place: Lena Young, Community #1675
2nd Place: Kevin Young, Community #1675
3rd Place: Dale Young, Community #1675
Flowers — “Potted Herbs”
1st Place: Peggy Johnston, Burns #160
2nd Place: Dale Moore, Burns #160
Flowers in unique container
1st Place: Joanne Cebulski, Barnard #689
2nd Place: Sharon Popler, Burns #160
3rd Place: Dale Moore, Burns #160
Flowers — Blooms
1st Place: Peggy Johnston, Burns #160
2nd Place: Dale Moore, Burns #160
Best of Show — Peggy Johnston, Burns #160
Decorated Pumpkins
1st Place: Fran Longsdorf, Burns #160
2nd Place: Arlene Douglas, Burns #160
3rd Place: Sharon Popler, Burns #160
Decorated Flower Pots
1st Place: Dale Moore, Burns #160
2nd Place: Peggy Johnston, Burns #160
AGRICULTURE
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026 GRANGE NEWS
Happy New Year everyone! Wow, 2025 is in the books and 2026 has just started! Well, I am sure everyone is starting to think about Spring and winter is not even half over! I know it is important to have snow during the winter months as that helps to add moisture to our farm fields and helps to protect the winter wheat during the cold months. So far, we have had a good bit of snow in my area of Michigan which seems weird as it is December 14th as I sit writing this article. What snow we had earlier in November around Thanksgiving stayed around longer than normal because the temperature stayed cold. I hope this isn’t a sign of what winter is going to be like. I do not like cold weather where the high temperatures do not get over 32. The way we had such a very hot summer, we will probably have the opposite for winter!
Yes, snow is a part of everyday life during winter in our community. And don’t we often wish we didn’t have to live with it, but we couldn’t live without it.
So, while you sit and look at the snow float from the sky, think about what you might want to plant in your gardens or yards this coming spring. Now is a great time to be looking through the seed catalogs and plant books for those special favorites you might want to plant and then share the crops with friends and neighbors.
Here is a good reason to plan early. Be sure to check out the Agriculture Department in the Program Book. I left the classes from 2025 in the program book for 2026. I may have added a new “decorated pumpkin” sub class, so be sure to check out the Program Book. I know it is tough trying to get things to last until our State Session, but I try to have classes that the produce would still be good to enter. If our State Session was during the late Summer or early Fall months, we could do more classes to deal with fruits, vegetables and flowers. Remember that the class under Flowers: Bloom is any type of flower bloom and they are fresh not dried. Please be sure to keep the inserted Program Book for the 2026 State Session.
Well, that is all for now.
Here is hoping 2026 is another great Grange year for all and brings bounty to our Agriculture Neighbors and Friends!
Until later….
